Best Sandwich in Vancouver (Hands Down)

If you haven't been to Finch's in Gastown yet, I highly recommend you try it. Their sandwiches are to die for! I had the blue-brie, prosciutto baguette with pears, roasted walnuts, olive oil and vinegar. I was elated to finally try blue-brie as I had heard great things about it and love both blue cheese and brie. For those who are skeptical of blue cheese, this has a much milder taste thanks to the brie so is ideal for those less wild cheese enthusiasts.  At first I thought the price point ($8.95) was a bit high for a sandwich, but the quality and quantity of ingredients made it more than worth it. Generous wedges of cheese layered with a healthy amount of prosciutto and ripe pear slices were the perfect combination of sweet and salty. While the oil & vinegar were not obvious, the roasted walnuts completed the sandwich with a nice crunch and flavour. Served on a piece of parchment paper fit the shabby chic style of the place. Finch's also serves vegetarian options, including salads and breakfast as well as whole grain bread for those who prefer it to baguette and other types of cheese, but the sandwiches are an excellent starting point.


 finchteahouse.com

Next item to try: the salad version of the sandwich (with greens and baguette on the side)

Hummus from the Heart

With hundreds of hummus recipes available out there, I think the best approach is tossing out the recipes and going with what you like. Since you throw all the ingredients into a food processor at once, there is no need to follow any real guidelines. Just add ingredients to taste. If you like lemony hummus add more lemon, if you like garlicky hummus add more garlic and so on. *Traditional Lebanese hummus does not contain garlic, but I am Greek after all, so bring on the garlic!


My latest creation: Hummus with Basil


1 can chickpeas / garbanzo beans
tahini to taste (I like a lot, 5-6 tbs.)
handful of fresh basil
juice of 1 lemon 
3 cloves of garlic
water (add more depending on how runny you like it)
generous drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Combine ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Taste and add more of any ingredient you like. Serve with warm pita or veggies. Yields about 2 cups. Let sit in fridge before serving.


Healthy Hints:
Chickpeas are a good source of protein and Vitamin E and are rich in fibre.
Garlic can reduce the risk of both cancer and heart disease.
Basil helps with indigestion.

Avocado Chocolate Pudding?

Avocado chocolate pudding? Yes, it sounds super weird, but that's exactly why I was so excited to try it. Plus, this pudding has no sugar so it's absolutely guilt free! The original recipe calls for carob powder, but I didn't have any on hand so I used cocoa powder instead. When substituting cocoa for carob powder use half as much cocoa as whatever the recipe calls for. Throw the avocado, lemon, salt, honey (or maple syrup) and cocoa in a food processor and shazam... chocolate pudding in less than 5 minutes! The avocado makes the texture super creamy, but you can't taste it. Now you're probably wondering about the taste: delicious.  

Garnish with seasonal fruit (I think bananas go particularly well with chocolate)

Yields about 2 servings

Recipe link: www.ehow.com/video


Healthy Hints: 
Avocado has Vitamin E, magnesium and is high in monounsaturated fats to help lower cholesterol 
Cocoa is rich in antioxidants 
Carob has no caffeine and less sugar than chocolate but a similar taste